Chapter 64
Climb For Your Life (Part 2)
With the ghouls released, it became a race to see who got up the tower fastest. Every contestant was in a state of pure panic, as they tried to desperately get away from the flesh-eating monstrosities chasing after them. People were getting shoved out of the way, thrown into the ground and even trampled to death as it became a game of survival.
The stairs that led up the tower were quite narrow, only wide enough to allow two people to walk side by side. Because of this, once someone who was faster reached someone slower before them, it became practically a fight to the death to see which one was allowed to continue moving up, while the other was left as food for the ghouls. Some tried to trip people or push them down just so that the ghouls would be occupied with someone else, allowing them to move safely.
What truly made the whole thing terrifying was that the ghouls were able to climb up the tower much faster than the contestants. This was due to their better physical abilities. The ghouls were able to climb on the side of the tower as well, which allowed them to get up the tower to chase after their prey much faster.
Much like every other contestant, Erin was also in a complete panic as she kept running up the stairs in the hopes of getting away from the monsters chasing her. She kept running past all the other contestants she could, including those that were caught by the ghouls and were now screaming for help. While it stung her heart to abandon people to their fate, she knew that she couldn’t do anything to help. Stopping to help would only leave herself and Lexton open for an attack, so all she could do was keep running.
“Erin, up ahead to the right!” Lexton suddenly warned the redhead, breaking her out of her thoughts.
Erin quickly noticed what the kobold was warning her about. There was a ghoul climbing up the side of the tower up ahead. The undead monster tried to grab at her legs, but she managed to jump over the attack and move onward.
“Thanks for the heads up, Lex!” the redhead said as she continued running. “That thing might have otherwise dragged us over the edge!”
“Not to be a jerk, but I think it’s too early to be celebrating!” Lexton said in response. “We still have a long way ahead of us before we’re even close to being safe! In fact, I think we’ve got trouble up ahead!”
Just as the kobold gave his warning, Erin saw none other than Goldiana up ahead with her two goons. The three were fighting against a group of ghouls that had managed to surround them. While the dwarf and the orc were struggling to push the undead monsters away, Goldiana wasn’t having any issues with doing so. Instead, she was able to handle the ghouls like they were nothing, as she punched them, threw them over the edge and even tore some of them apart.
Suddenly, the orc companion of the barbarian woman screamed in pain, as two ghouls managed to overpower him and bring him to the ground. One of them sunk its teeth into his left arm, while the other began to devour his right leg.
“HELP! GET THESE THINGS OFF ME!” the orc pleaded as he struggled against the monsters.
Almost instantly, Goldiana jumped in to seemingly help her companion. She grabbed the ghoul that was biting down on the orc’s arm and punched it so hard that the monster’s head blew off. The barbarian woman then took the other ghoul and smashed its head into the ground, killing it.
“T-Thank you… I was afraid those things were going to eat me!” the orc said with a smile as a couple of tears escaped his eyes.
“Oh, no need to thank me,” Goldiana said with a grin. “After all, you’re going to do me an even bigger service.”
Before the orc could ask what she meant, the muscled woman picked him up and threw him down the stairs, towards where Erin and Lexton were. The redhead barely managed to duck underneath the orc flying over her, as he screamed in terror. The orc then crashed into a large group of ghouls that had gathered behind them, pushing them over the edge and falling to their deaths.
“Well damn… I was hoping to hit the two of you as well,” Goldiana said in a somewhat disappointed tone. “Oh well. Can’t get everything right all the time.”
“What the hell was that, you heartless bastard!?” Erin yelled angrily. “How could you do that to your own friend!?”
“Friend? You really think that guy was my friend?” the barbarian woman asked with wide eyes, before bursting into laughter. “That’s freaking hilarious! You actually believe crap like friendship actually exists in this place!? You’re even more of an idiot than I thought!”
“What do you mean by that!?” the redhead asked. “Wasn’t he helping you get up this tower!? What was he to you then!?”
“That’s easy. He was a tool,” Goldiana replied easily, shocking Erin. “The only reason we decided to work together in the first place was so that we could both benefit from each other. However, now that he was no longer useful, I might as well do what I need to do in order to ensure my own survival. It’s that simple.”
“You… You’re a monster,” the redhead said as she glared at the barbarian woman. “To think that you are willing to sacrifice others, those who trust you even, just to help yourself!”
“A monster? How unoriginal. If you’re going to insult me, try at least being a bit more creative with it,” Goldiana said before turning around and continuing her climb up the tower. “You should take my words into consideration, though. It will give you a better chance at survival. Not that I think it will do much for someone like you.”
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Erin watched as Goldiana and her dwarf companion ran up the stairs, leaving her and Lexton alone. The redhead soon ran after them, hoping that she wouldn’t have to deal with any further antics from the barbarian woman.
“Try not to think too much about what she said, Erin,” Lexton said while being carried by the redhead. “Just because she thinks the correct way to survive here is by sacrificing others, doesn’t mean you have to. Everything has their good sides and bad sides, and I’m sure she will have to come face to face with the consequences of her actions at some point.”
“Thanks, Lex. Although, it is a bit surprising hearing that from you of all people,” Erin said with a small smirk. “Weren’t you the one hoping to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the rest of us? What happened that suddenly made you change your tone in such a way?”
“Oh, just shut it!” the kobold said with an embarrassed blush on his face. “I’m just saying that she will get paid back for the things she has done one way or another! I still think it would have been best for you to leave me behind!”
“Sure. If you say so,” the redhead said with a giggle, causing Lexton to grumble unhappily.
Just as the two of them had finished their conversation, another ghoul managed to climb up to them and jumped towards them. This time, both Erin and Lexton were taken by surprise, leaving them defenseless as the monster attacked them. The ghoul grabbed hold of Lexton, prying him off Erin and taking him away from the redhead. The kobold tried to struggle, but it was futile. All he could do was stare into the monster’s red eyes, as it moved in closer to the kill.
“GET OFF HIM!” Erin yelled, as she tackled the ghoul, freeing Lexton in the process. She wrestled with the monster for a moment, but was ultimately pinned on the ground by the undead creature. Now she was the one in danger.
The ghoul was just about to bite down on the redhead’s neck, but something else came between the creature’s jaws and its prey. Erin’s eye went wide with shock, as she saw the ghoul bite down on Lexton’s arm, as the kobold screamed in agony.
Feeling rage build up inside her over what had happened to her friend, Erin tackled the monster and pinned it to the ground. This time, she made sure not to give it any chance to fight back, as she grabbed its head with both of her hands and smashed it into the ground several times, killing the creature.
With the ghoul taken care of, Erin quickly rushed over to Lexton, hoping that he was alright. However, she was horrified to see him laying on the ground, holding his bleeding arm in pain as his body seemed to shiver uncontrollably.
“Lex! You okay!?” the redhead asked in a worried tone, looking over the kobold. “Oh my God… Your arm’s bleeding badly! We need to stop it quick!”
“Don’t bother… The bleeding isn’t the real issue,” Lexton said weakly. “Ghouls have venom in their teeth… Unless I get the antidote, I’m just as good as dead…”
“T-There has got to be a way! Some way we can fix you up!” Erin said as she was starting to panic. “I know! The people behind these games! They must have it stashed somewhere! If we make it to the top, maybe we can-!”
“Even if they do have it, do you really think these people would ever give it to me?” the kobold asked. “Please stop it… You know better than that…”
“But… But I can’t just-!” the redhead tried to argue.
“Yes, you can… And you must,” Lexton said as he offered his companion a weak and sad smile. “Come on… We both know I’m as good as dead here… Don’t let me drag you down with me…”
Erin looked up from the kobold and saw that other ghouls had now reached them. She knew that carrying Lexton on her back while trying to fight off these monsters was going to be practically suicidal.
The redhead steeled her resolve and made her choice
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Meanwhile, further up the tower, Goldiana’s dwarf companion was laying on the ground, bleeding to death. One of the ghouls had managed to sneak up behind him and had managed to bite down on his neck. Despite being able to use the last of his strength to kill the undead creature, the wound was too severe and the dwarf had fallen to the ground.
As he laid there, he managed to get one last look at Goldiana to see that she was climbing up the tower, not even giving a second of attention to her fallen companion. The dwarf couldn’t help but curse his misfortune. Despite knowing just what type of a person the barbarian woman was, he had hoped that she would have at least given some form of acknowledgment towards him in his final moments at the very least. Alas, no such thing was given to him at all.
The dwarf was sure that he and Goldiana were the last ones remaining in the game, as most of the noise coming from the other participants had already ended. Because of this he was surprised to hear the sound of regular footsteps approach him. He was even more surprised to find out that the person in question was none other than Erin, the person they had mocked earlier.
The redhead looked like she had been through hell, as her clothes were torn and her body was covered in cuts and bruises from the attacks of the ghouls. She had luckily avoided getting bitten, thus she hadn’t been affected the by the venom the ghouls had.
However, despite all the punishment and abuse she had gone through, Erin was still carrying Lexton on her back. Besides the bite mark on the kobold’s arm, he hadn’t suffered any other injuries, as the redhead had done everything she could to protect him. She had even torn off one of her sleeves in order to stop the bleeding of his arm.
image [https://i.ibb.co/DgJN4M3/Ch-64-Pic-1.jpg]
“Hey… Aren’t you Goldiana’s buddy?” Erin asked as she stared down at the dying dwarf on the ground. “I’m guessing she abandoned you as well then?”
“You’re right about that… She left my ass the second I was no longer useful for her,” the dwarf answered. “You’re different… You’re still carrying that kobold… Even though he’s only a burden…”
“He’s not a burden. In fact, he has helped me before greatly,” the redhead said. “Besides, even if he wasn’t useful, I would still help him. That’s what friends do for each other.”
“Friends, huh? Sounds nice…” the dwarf said, as his life was starting to fade away. “Wish I had… friends like that… when I… came here…”
Erin watched as the dwarf closed his eyes, never to open them again. For a moment, she wondered what he meant by his last words. Had he been betrayed by people he had trusted? Was that how he ended up here in this mess? Maybe if things had turned out at least a bit differently, maybe he wouldn’t have been like Goldiana?
This line of thought made the redhead reflect back on her own life. What if she had chosen to act differently back then? What if she had decided not to betray Devin and the others? Could this all have been avoided by that one single decision? Would Ryle, Arkay, Lexton and Durge have ended up living better lives as a result as well?
However, Erin didn’t spend much time on such thoughts. What was done was done and couldn’t be changed. What she needed to focus on right now was saving Lexton. So with determination coursing through her body, she walked past the dead dwarf and headed up the tower. She would make sure that her friend would make it out of this alive.
It didn’t take long for the redhead to reach the top of the tower from that point. She soon made it there, a circular open area with a single ladder lowered down from the ceiling at the middle. Goldiana was also there, looking at the new arrivals with a cocky smirk on her face. Erin noticed that unlike herself, the barbarian woman looked like she was in almost perfect condition. There were a few scratches and bruises, but for the most part she was perfectly fine. In fact, she wasn’t even breathing heavily.
Realizing just how good Goldiana’s condition was set off alarm bells in Erin’s mind. If the barbarian woman had already reached the top, why was she still here? Shouldn’t she have already gone on to clear the challenge? The redhead couldn’t help but fear that Goldiana was waiting for her to arrive. If that was the case, then why did she do so?
Whatever the reason, the redhead hoped that it wouldn’t come down to a fight. There was no chance she could beat her in her current condition.
“Well, color me surprised,” Goldiana said with a small grin. “You actually made it out alive! Not only that, but you even managed to carry that useless thing with you all the way here. Looks like it wasn’t easy on you, though. Was it worth it?”
“More than you could ever imagine,” Erin replied while glaring at the barbarian woman. “Might I ask why you’re still here? Somehow I doubt you were waiting for your friends to come here, considering how you abandoned them.”
“You got that right about me,” Goldiana said with a chuckle. “This might surprise you, but I was actually waiting for you.”
“Me?” the redhead asked. “Why would you wait for me? What the hell do you have to do with me?”
“That’s unfortunately something that needs to be left for a later time. We don’t exactly have the luxury to stay here and talk,” the barbarian woman answered. “You see, that exit won’t stay open forever. Even the Laughing Ogre people know better than to let monsters like ghouls roam free, so that hatch will be closing pretty soon. I’m going to climb through it while I have the time and I suggest you do the same. We’ll have plenty more chances to get to know each other better.”
Erin watched as Goldiana walked up to the ladder and climbed it up, disappearing through the exit in the ceiling. With nothing else to do, the redhead simply followed after her. She could already hear some of the ghouls get closer to the top, attracted by the scent of living flesh. There was no time to waste and no use in doing so.
As she climbed up the ladder, Erin’s only thought was about seeing her friends safe. Nothing else mattered to her.